DELRAY OFFICIAL REPRIMANDED

A top Delray Beach city official has been reprimanded for accusing Jewish attorneys of intentionally scheduling legal proceedings near Christmas and for describing two injured city workers as frauds.

Risk Manager Lee Graham was issued a formal letter of reprimand after he made the remarks on city stationery in a Nov. 1 memo to a law firm and insurance carrier. Graham suggested his vacation plans were intentionally spoiled by the scheduling of three worker's compensation hearings for Dec. 18, 21 and 22.

"These Jewish lawyers are very protective of dates around their religious holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur," Graham wrote. "Yet they are eager to have their mediations scheduled shortly before Christmas. Well, I want the same consideration for Christian holidays. Furthermore, I do not have any intention of playing Santa Claus so that these two frauds have a full stocking for their Christmas cheer."

The latter reference was directed at former city mechanic John Turner and police data entry clerk Vicki Sparks.

"I think it's outrageous," said Turner, who was injured while working in the wastewater treatment plant. "Lee Graham ought to be ashamed of himself."

The Jewish attorneys were not named in the letter, but one has since been identified as Lawrence A. Levy, of Fort Lauderdale. Levy could not be reached for comment.

City Finance Director Joe Safford said the incident was regrettable, but isolated. He chastised Graham for engaging in inappropriate and unprofessional conduct and ordered the 10-year employee to pass all future correspondence through his office for review.

"It was absolutely out of character for Lee," Safford said Monday. "He apologized and said that he didn't mean it the way we read it. ... He was stating what he thought was a fact."

Graham is on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Safford said such conduct will not be tolerated by the city of Delray Beach.

The reprimand indicates Graham had been warned before about making inappropriate comments in an open air office.

Arthur N. Teitelbaum, Southern Area director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the incident is unprofessional at best. However, he said the real question is whether it is indicative of a pattern of biased conduct.

Teitelbaum noted that the days in question were workdays, not holidays. No hearings were ever scheduled for the formal holidays.

"There's irony here in that Mr. Graham is a risk manager for the city," Teitelbaum said. "Making reference to opposing counsel by their religious identity is entirely inappropriate."